27th Annual Tai Chi Alchemy in Sedona
Tai Chi Alchemy continues to provide a safe space to explore “What else is possible?” It is a pop-up Brigadoon where our personal armor can be parked at the door to free us to Meet with our whole being and feel the joy and wonder of participating in this crazy business of being human.
An Jin: The “Push of No Push,” Part 3- Make it smaller.
Big movements allow us to bring a magnifying glass to all the little components, stuff that might get overlooked otherwise.
An Jin: The “Push of No Push,” Part 2
In Part 1 of “An Jin: The “Push of No Push,” I broke down Jin and what makes it so powerful. I then explained the mysterious An Jin, the “push of no push,” and how it needs both Song and Fang to work. This post gets right down to how to train it.
An Jin: The “Push of No Push,” Part 1
My teacher, Grandmaster William C. C. Chen, would often speak of the “punch of no punch” and the “push of no push.” It was his ironic way of saying...
Rick Barrett Inducted into the ICMAC Hall of Fame
What made this particular event extra special for me was being inducted into the ICMAC Hall of Fame as a Senior Master. I joined my two teachers in the Hall: William C. C. Chen had already been inducted as a Grandmaster, and Yang Fukui as a Senior Master.
Stress. Gongfu. Shen.
We each have opportunities to extend beyond our comfort zone and explore what else is possible for us. It doesn’t have to be on the big stage. Without stress there is no growth. We get to choose how much Shen we welcome into our lives.
Wu Wei and Wei Wu Wei in Taijiquan Practice
Wu Wei and Wei Wu Wei in Taijiquan Practice When your body is not aligned [形不正], The inner power will not come. When you are not tranquil within...
Yin Power in the Legs for Health and Gongfu
The power I am talking about here is of a different sort than is addressed through common forms of exercise, like walking running, swimming, cycling, and yoga. It is a “soft power”: a receptive, Yin power.
“A Wee Bit of Alchemy with Rick Barrett”: The First Six Months
Dennis McBreen has been reviewing the YouTube videos of “A Wee Bit of Alchemy with Rick Barrett” for meditations, exercises, and explanations. In the process, he has recorded the start times